Fluid handling applications often employ one or more disposable vessels for at least temporarily receiving and containing the fluid during the processing operation. For example, in the course of bioprocessing, sealed containers of flexible plastic film (referred to as “bags” in the vernacular) are often used under sterile conditions for fluid storage, cell culture re-suspension, viral inactivation, final formulation, final fill, and in other areas, including as bioreactors.
Despite the overwhelming acceptance of such containers in the market as being reliable for fluid handling (and particularly in relation to bioprocessing, given the requirement for sterility in many applications and the desire to avoid cleaning/reuse), limitations remain. For one, dealing with fluid-filled flexible bags can be a challenge, as their thin walls and amorphous shape when filled dictates special handling considerations. Separate rigid containers may be used to provide external support, but these containers are typically designed to accommodate only a single size and shape of vessel (such as, for example, a “bag-in-box” type of arrangement, where an inner bag is specially adapted for occupying the entire volume of an outer box). Filling of the vessels often involves guesswork based on visual acuity, which can at best lead to inconsistency, and is virtually impossible when the container is comprised of opaque materials that make accurate visual perception of the fluid level impossible.
Thus, a need is identified for a manner of providing an improved container for use in fluid handling, and bioprocessing in particular. The container would be capable of use in addressing a variety of different requirements for fluid processing operations, including the proper filling of the container, as well as the ability to manipulate and transport it in an easy and efficient manner. Overall, use of the improved container would thus lead to a simplification of the fluid processing operation with improved results and a concomitant reduction in the expense associated with such use.